Racegoers will line the fence five deep on Marburg Derby day on Sunday.
What better than a day in the sun at Marburg - and Trojan Banner red hot to win the Derby
By Barry Lichter • 2 August 2019
Marburg. It’s not quite a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town but with a pub, post office and corner shop it’s not much more. Population 873 at the 2016 census.
You’ll find it 60km west of Brisbane. Ipswich is only 17km away if you’re lost.
A historic old town dating back to the 1870s it draws weekend sightseers to its beautifully restored heritage buildings and drinkers to its 1881 hotel.
If you’ve had a few too many you’re lucky that if you fall into Black Snake Creek which winds through town there isn’t much water in it these days.
The Marburg hotel dates back to 1881.Al Barnes has been living in these parts for the last 10 years, ever since he separated from his wife and moved to Fernvale 20 minutes away to work for trainer Darrel Graham.
A roofer by trade, Barnes wanted to give his sons Hayden and Brendan a future in horse racing.
And on Sunday, the boys, now both successful drivers, and partner Cassie will load up the float and take Trojan Banner, Miss Blue Glory and old trotter Monorail just down the road to the Marburg Showgrounds for the big local Sunday race meeting.
Barnes doesn’t win too many races at Marburg, where the battlers and grass roots of harness racing generally pick up just enough to keep them going.
“I’ve been in that situation myself so I like to leave those races for the people who need those wins.
The Marburg community centre was originally the town’s bank.“Besides it’s too good a day to be working when you can sit around and have a beer and enjoy the day with your mates. People will come from all around and there could be a couple of thousand here. They’ll be five deep on the rail.”
Barnes says with a derby and an oaks on the programme for the first time in ages, he’s put Trojan Banner and Miss Blue Glory in to try to win the double. “It would be fantastic to win such a prestigeous local race.”
Trojan Banner looks completely thrown in with only seven lesser rivals in the A$7500 Marburg Derby Country Classic (2200m), two of them maidens and three who have won only two races each.
But Barnes says on the small 700 metre Marburg circuit, with its short 150 metre home straight, he’ll still have to earn the win from the second row.
The Woodlands of Marburg mansion was built in 1890 and overlooks picturesque Marburg Valley.“There are a couple in there who go nicely and they’ll test him. We’re not across the line yet, the track might bring him back to them. The turns are quite good, not too tight, but it’s very much show racing here, lots of push and shove.
“We won’t be going forward three wide and killing him, we’ll drive him quietly and let him run on.
“He’s quick enough to come with one run from the 600 and sustain a long sprint.”
Barnes says it’s hard to run fast sectionals at Marburg but he has had one pacer record a low 28 for a quarter. The track record for 2200 metres is a modest 1:59.1 mile rate.
“But he’s a good horse and he’ll be hard to beat.”
For Barnes, that could be the understatement of the year. Trojan Banner, winner of his first seven straight in Queensland, was massive when fifth in the Queensland Derby two starts back, coming from the second row to record faster final sectionals than the unbeaten All Stars’ winner Self Assured.
Marburg racetrack is 700 metres with a 150 metre home straight, but the turns aren’t too tight.And on Tuesday at Albion Park, against a much better field, he simply had to do too much work in the running, working hard three wide round to the chair and battling into seventh.
“The derby definitely didn’t knock him round at all and I think I was even a bit too light on him. He was a bit too fresh on Tuesday and pulled up a bit tubby. I was rapt with the run.”
Barnes isn’t quite so sure about Tuesday winner Miss Blue Glory, a Lincoln Farms graduate, who has drawn the inside of the second row in the A$7500 Marburg Oaks Country Classic.
“My main concern is how she’ll handle the track. She’s been pacing well at the 1000 metre Albion Park track but she’s not the cleanest pacer and I don’t know how she’ll go on a tighter track.
“But if she’s OK she’ll go close to winning too.
“Whatever happens we’ll have some fun.”
Trojan Banner races at 4.26pm NZ time at Marburg on Sunday.
More news in Harness
Forget the form line, Nemo is in Saturday’s race at Albion Park ‘right up to his ears’
Fine Cambridge double but Ray’s packing Lincoln Cove off to Matamata for scintigraphy
34 more meetings in the north next season as Auckland reclaims Friday nights
No way to sugar coat it - it’s tricky to predict what Sugar Ray will do on Friday night
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Major Achievement
5.19pm
“It’s his first race for a while and he hasn’t been setting the world on fire at the workouts. But he’s been racing better animals and this isn’t a stellar bunch. He’s a chance if things go his way. I’ve given Mathew Salaivao the drive.”
Race 1: Commander Lincoln
5.19pm
“He’s an average horse but the last time he raced here in amateur company he all but won. He’ll need luck from the second row but, while I couldn’t label him, he’s a runner’s chance.”
Race 5: Onyx Shard
6.59pm
“She got a bit sick for a while with a virus and I had to back off her. She seems over that now but I’m picking she’ll need a race. This will be like a glorified trial for her.”
Race 8: My Copy
8.14pm
“He came to the end of it so I gave him a little freshen-up and he seems in good shape again. It will be interesting to see how he goes fresh - he may need a race but he’ll appreciate the step-down in class. I’m running him here so he doesn’t come up against any bear cats first-up.”
Race 9: Lincoln Cove
8.47pm
“Hopefully he’s getting better but you’ve just got to take him on trust. He has ability but the desire has been sadly lacking. Zac will have to sit quietly on him as he broke when given only one tap with the stick last time. The small field will suit him as he won’t be too far off them. If he doesn’t make any mistakes, he’ll give them a fright.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 3: Leo Lincoln
6.43pm
“Maurice said he would have finished a lot closer last time than sixth (fourth or even third) had he not locked wheels at the 100. That took all his momentum away. He’s been holding his form well and he gets out well enough to use the inside draw. He’s a chance to get some of the money.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.39pm
“He did have marks on his boot after his last run and trying a spreader on him has helped. But he’s a real baby. He has real ability but he’s still developing mentally and physically and we’re still finding our way with him.”
Race 5: Lincoln Lou
7.39pm
“He’s racing well but he’ll find it tough from the outside draw.”
Race 6: Debbie Lincoln
8.07pm
“I can’t see her improving enough to give the Purdon/Phelan trio a fright. She can go (fast) enough but still has a lot to learn. The main thing for her is getting round safely. She’s put two in a row now so hopefully she’ll start improving.”
Race 10: Lincoln La Moose
9.59pm
“He had an excuse last time - he got wiped out on the first corner and that was the end of his race. I like him, he’s a nice horse, just not quite as experienced as Frisco Bay.”
Race 10: Frisco Bay
9.59pm
“I lean towards Frisky as the better chance of our two. You can’t fault what he did the other night at Cambridge, and he seems to be on the improve. He’s more reliable than Lincoln La Moose.”
Mark Dux’s comments
Saturday night at Albion Park
Race 6: Captain Nemo
9.40pm NZ time
“I rate him a good top three chance. I’m really happy with the horse. It’s a decent drop in grade for him and I think maybe we roll the dice, go forward, and take our chances. As long as he doesn’t have to burn stupidly off the gate, if he can find the top, they’ll know he’s in the race.”
